CRD Associates is proud to announce that one of its team members, Ernesto Alfonso, has been awarded the prestigious Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship.

A graduate of Florida International University, Ernesto was selected from among a nationwide pool of 700 applicants. Starting this fall, he will pursue a Master of International Affairs at Columbia University, including internships at the State Department and at an American Embassy. Upon graduation he will join the United States Foreign Service as a diplomat.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, this fellowship honors Career Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, one of the country’s most respected Foreign Service Officers. The goal of the programs is to attract outstanding students from all ethnic and social backgrounds who are dedicated to representing America’s interests abroad.

Ernesto is a first-generation immigrant from Venezuela who has been working as a policy fellow for CRD Associates since January 2012. We are very proud and excited to see Ernesto fulfill his dream of a career in diplomacy. Good luck Ambassador!

is a government relations, public policy and strategic development firm representing clients in the dynamic new world of predictive and personalized health care. We specialize in navigating the labyrinth of legislators, regulators, health care providers, patient advocates, third-party payers, and journalists who will ultimately determine if innovation succeeds or fails.